How To Run Away From Monsters
by All The Umbrellas In London
Summary: Faith in his companions, and awful lot of running; two constants in the Doctor's life, as Amy Pond finds out, much to her peril.


**_"If I have faith in one thing… I have faith in her."  
"There's an outrageous amount of running involved." _**

"No, seriously," he said, over the sound of his own panting, "we really should _not_ stop running." He slumped against the wall, looking at the security door he'd just slammed shut.

The roar emanating from the other side, from down the corridor they'd just run, seemed to underline his point.

Amy Pond nodded in agreement, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. "No, listen," she managed, her voice rasping, Scottish brogue stretched thin, "you're not wrong."

The Doctor couldn't help smiling. Another roar, this one closer. And much, much more threatening.

"Oh, no," The Doctor muttered, finally getting his breathing under control.

"Oh, no, what?" Amy asked.

"It's caught our scent."

"Did it ever lose it?" Amy said, confused.

"I don't think so…"

Yet another roar; then, as if on cue, the door burst inwards, every single one of its sixty ultra-strong bolts ripped out at once. The creature stood on the other side, all scales and _very_ sharp teeth and prehensile ripping tendrils sprouting out of its back, and it opened its jaws, all six of them, letting out the almightiest roar.

The Doctor had to remember to jump out of the way of the streaming burst of acid that leapt from the glands along the inside of the creature's mouth, but Amy had already pressed herself against the wall.

The acid missed them both, and burnt its way clear through the decking.

"This is not good," The Doctor intoned, before whirling towards Amy. "_Run_!"

She didn't need telling twice. She was already down the corridor, feet pounding the plating, even as the word left his mouth. He was following, then, without even thinking, and the monster let loose another roar. Acid sprayed across the corridor, but it splashed harmlessly across the bulkheads.

Well, harmless for Amy and The Doctor; the bulkheads dissolved in seconds.

Realising its prey were out of range of its most potent weapon, the creature gave chase. If the acid wouldn't do, it thought, then its claws would. Or teeth. Or the razor-edged tendrils.

Amy reached the next hatch, and punched in the code they'd both memorised. The hatch cycled open… half way.

"Come on!" Amy cried, pounding the input controls.

The door stubbornly refused to budge.

"It won't open!" she said, whirling around.

The Doctor looked at the door, then back down at the monster. "You could fit through there," he said, his face flushed, but devoid of excitement. "Go."

"What? But… no." Amy said, eyes wide. "I'm not running."

The Doctor's jaw set, the sound of the monster's footsteps just behind them now. It roared, yet again. From the pocket of his jacket, the Doctor withdrew his sonic screwdriver. "I'll hold him off," was all he said.

"Hold him off?" she demanded. "It's a giant space thing with claws and teeth and it _shoots acid_!"

"Yeah," The Doctor agreed. "Come on, Amy. Daleks, Angels. We've fought off much, _much_ worse. Now… go!"

He didn't give her a choice; he grabbed her, not even bothering to try and be gentle, shoving her through the hatch. His hand brushed against her jacket as she passed. Then, he turned his sonic on the controls. The hatch cycled shut.

The Doctor turned on his heel, and held his head up high… just to see the monster standing right behind him. It glared at him, all seventeen of its eyes glinting with something The Doctor would have called malice.

"Oh," he said, slipping the sonic back into his pocket of his tweed jacket. "How do you do, sir?"

The creature seemed to take a breath, and the Doctor smiled.

"Before you eviscerate me or vapourise me or whatever, I've just got to tell you… make it fast. Because Amy Pond will be back in, like, twelve seconds. And she will _not_ be happy. She's like that. And when she's not happy… things tend to get annihilated." The Doctor shrugged. "You could turn around, and avoid being on the receiving end of her rage… or you can try whatever it is you're going to try."

It's joints bunching and dropping in what was almost a shrug, the beast just roared, and with a wet burping sound, fired acid across the small gap between them.


End file.
